Answer by
thorsdecree (409)
Shader Model 3.0 refers to a graphics technology for shading objects. It is an improvement over Shader Model 2.0 in that Shader Model 3.0 renders more realistically and is better for performance. It is kind of like the difference between DirectX 10 and DirectX 9: similar technology, just with an update. Modern games usually use Shader 3.0.